The field of the disclosure relates generally to carbon dioxide (CO2) collection, and more specifically to methods and systems for collecting CO2 from atmospheric air.
CO2 is collected for numerous purposes. Natural sources of CO2 are commonly mined to collect CO2 for various industrial purposes. CO2 is also collected as a byproduct of industrial processes and to remove excess CO2 from a supply of air.
A significant amount of CO2 is used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Today oil is being extracted from many oil wells that have been abandoned but still possess significant amounts of crude oil. Typically, an oil well only provides approximately 30% of its oil during the primary recovery phase. Another 20% may be recovered using secondary recovery techniques such as water flooding to raise the underground pressure. EOR provides a third (or tertiary) recovery technique that has been used to recover an additional 20% or more of the oil from the underground oil reservoirs. The EOR phase involves injecting very large amounts of gas into the ground and then recovering much of it along with the recovered oil. CO2 is a preferred gas due to its ability to mix with the crude oil and render the oil to be substantially less viscous and more readily extractable. Conducting these EOR operations requires a significant capital investment to access the remaining oil in the ground. However, the current declining production of oil reservoirs and rising oil prices makes EOR more affordable today creating a huge demand for CO2.
CO2 for use in industrial processes, such as EOR for example, is commonly collected from natural or anthropogenic sources and delivered to a location at which it will be used. The CO2 may be delivered via tanks, a pipeline, or other suitable methods of delivery. In many instances, the location of use is remote from the location of collection of the CO2, thereby increasing the cost to the user of the CO2.